Rare, Nature’s Great Race, Great Yellowstone Thaw: PBS Announces New Series

by Jessica Pena, January 16, 2017

PBS has a new slate of series ready for the new year. Recently, the network announced they will premiere six new limited series later this year, including The Story of China, Great Yellowstone Thaw, and Nature’s Great Race.

The other series include Big Pacific, a docuseries that explores one of the largest bodies of water on Earth, Rare, which examines animals on the brink of extinction, and Weekend in Havana, which follows Geoffrey Baer on a walking tour of the Cuban capital.

PASADENA, CA; January 15, 2017 – PBS President and CEO Paula A. Kerger announced today at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour PBS Summer of Adventure, six new limited series that take viewers to some of the world’s most amazing places and cultures. This strong lineup of history, science and natural history programming kicks off the summer schedule with THE STORY OF CHINA, an exploration of China’s 4,000-year history, featuring Michael Wood and BIG PACIFIC(w.t.), which reveals the Pacific Ocean’s most guarded secrets with footage from some of the best cinematographers from around the globe.

PBS Summer of Adventure explores some of the world’s wildest and most threatened places with RARE – CREATURES OF THE PHOTO ARK, following National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. WEEKEND IN HAVANA (w.t.) accompanies Geoffrey Baer on a walking tour through Cuba, meeting singers, dancers, chefs and more in Havana, with a focus on the people, architecture, culture and history of the country just re-opened to Americans. GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW, a BBC co-production, showcases the stories of four different animal families as they attempt to survive the toughest spring on Earth.

“PBS takes your family on an around the world adventure this summer, letting them discover new topics in history, science and nature,” said Beth Hoppe, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming. “We’re excited to continue bringing compelling wildlife stories to our viewers.”

Adding to the rich pipeline of programs, the award-winning PBS Digital Studios network on YouTube will continue to showcase the weird and wonderful world of science with series such as “It’s Okay to Be Smart,” “Gross Science,” “BrainCraft,” “Space Time,” “Physics Girl,” “Deep Look,” “Global Weirding” and “Crash Course Physics.”

Below is a look at PBS Summer of Adventure:

THE STORY OF CHINA

THE STORY OF CHINA explores the history of the world’s oldest continuous state, from the ancient past to the present day. Home to more than a billion people, China is an emerging superpower. To understand it is to know its history. Traveling across the vast country, Michael Wood explores the landscapes, peoples, stories and cultures that have helped create China’s distinctive character and genius for more than 4,000 years.

BIG PACIFIC (w.t.)

Plunge into the Pacific with researchers and cinematographers who display the ocean’s rare and dazzling creatures in a way never before seen on television. Filmed in cinematic 4K, the program breaks the boundaries between land and sea, examining an ocean that covers one-third of the Earth’s surface, holds half of the world’s water and hides the deepest place on the planet.

RARE – CREATURES OF THE PHOTO ARK

Renowned National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore is a natural-born storyteller. RARE – CREATURES OF THE PHOTO ARK tells his story: a quest to document Earth’s species including those at risk of extinction. His 11-year “Photo Ark” project is the focus of this three-part series, which follows Sartore into the field as he captures rare species on camera – at zoos, preserves and elsewhere. Throughout RARE – CREATURES OF THE PHOTO ARK, Sartore interacts with scientists and naturalists who reveal surprising and important information. He has seen first-hand that people will save the things they love. This captivating and visually stunning PBS special reveals why ensuring species’ future matters to us all.

NATURE’S GREAT RACE

Huge groups of animals make some of the most dangerous, demanding and incredible journeys on earth. Now, new tagging technology allows teams to capture these amazing big animal migrations, while engaging the audience with individual caribou, zebra and elephant characters whose very lives are at stake.

WEEKEND IN HAVANA (w.t.)

Geoffrey Baer (“10 Places That Changed America”) is the viewer’s guide on a walking tour of Havana, meeting singers, dancers, chefs and more, and focusing on people, architecture, culture and history of the Cuba just re-opened to Americans.

GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW

Filmed over the course of several intense months, from deep winter to summer, this series intercuts the stories of four different animal families as they emerge from the cold and take advantage of the great thaw in Yellowstone before escaping the park’s soaring temperatures.

NATURE’S GREAT RACE and GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW are presented as part of a multi-title co-production deal among PBS, BBC and BBC Worldwide North America. The partnership provides a pipeline of the high-quality, entertaining and factual programs that PBS and BBC audiences have come to expect.

THE STORY OF CHINA, BIG PACIFIC (w.t.), RARE – CREATURES OF THE PHOTO ARK, NATURE’S GREAT RACE, WEEKEND IN HAVANA (w.t.) and GREAT YELLOWSTONE THAW will be available to stream the morning after broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including www.pbs.org and PBS apps for iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast.”